Filing of Tukwila police dog’s teeth fails to prevent bite-injury lawsuit

[TexasTowelie]

Tukwila police became so concerned with a police dog’s propensity to inflict severe bites on suspects, as well as on fellow officers, that the animal’s teeth were ordered filed down.

Nonetheless, just weeks after the dental work, K-9 Officer Gino tore into the leg of Luis Yellowowl-Burdeau, a 19-year-old domestic-violence suspect, ripping a fist-sized chunk from his calf, resulting in $81,000 in medical bills and a permanent injury, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

The German shepherd was retired by Police Chief Mike Villa on Oct. 19, 2012, six days after his encounter with Yellowowl-Burdeau. Gino died three years later, according to media reports.

Yellowowl-Burdeau’s lawsuit alleges that in the three years and 10 months Gino was a member of the Tukwila Police Department, he bit 31 people, including his handler and another law-enforcement officer. The civil-rights lawsuit also alleges the dog’s behavior shows the department’s K-9 unit has “fallen into a pattern of unconstitutional conduct.”

Read more: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/filing-of-tukwila-police-dogs-teeth-fails-to-prevent-bite-injury-lawsuit/

[metroins]

1. Awful awful management

This was a known liability concern and the police department kept the dog active which cost taxpayers money.

The police chief should pay out of their pocket.